University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Pediatrics is what the paper is about

Critiquing Directional Strategies
Unit Learning Outcomes
ULO 2: Judge the quality of visions, missions, and goals and recommend improvements as appropriate. 

ULO 3: Evaluate the degree of alignment between the vision, mission, core values, and goals within and between a healthcare organization and the functional level.

ULO 4: Develop a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis utilizing data gathered during the external and internal environmental analyses.

ULO 5: Develop well-supported strategic goals which maintain competitive advantage and support a directional strategy.

Introduction
The intent of the assignment is to give the student the opportunity to critique directional strategies at the organizational and functional levels. More specifically, this assignment is designed to get the student critically examining the form and style of visions, missions (purposes), and core values, as well as examine the degree of congruency between these vital components of strategic formulation. In addition to critiquing directional strategies, the student will be use available information to conduct a SWOT analysis, and then formulate strategic goals.       

Directions
There are three separate products associated with this Units application assignment. First, you will critique the directional strategy of your chosen department. Second, you will conduct a SWOT analysis. Third, you will develop strategic goals for you department.

Critiquing Strategic Direction

The student will critique the vision and mission (purpose) statements of the healthcare organization, for which his or her department is a part, as well as the department itself using the criteria contained in the sources listed below. Furthermore, the student will determine the degree of alignment between the organizations and departments core values and its corresponding mission (purpose) statements. Finally, as part of this initial analysis, the student will need to evaluate the level of congruency between the vision, mission (purpose), and core values at the departmental (or functional) and the organizational levels.

The student will repeat the above process; however, he or she will select a healthcare organization that is the OPPOSITE business structure. More specifically, if the students chosen healthcare department and the organization its a part of is a public or private, nonprofit business structure, then the second healthcare organization and its department must be a private or public, for-profit business structure.

Criteria for critiquing vision statements can be found at: ChangeFactory (Links to an external site.) 

Criteria for critiquing mission statements can be found at: Ten Criteria for Evaluating Mission Statements (Links to an external site.)

To complete this assignment, use the link below to download a table for critiquing strategic directions.

Critiquing Strategic Direction TablePreview the document

SWOT Analysis

Perhaps one of the most popular techniques associated with the strategic planning process is the construction and analysis of a SWOT, which is the acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The SWOT is used to compile and present internal data related to the strengths and weaknesses of an organization (or, in your case, the healthcare department) and the external environment in which an organization operates. So far, in the course, you have been tasked with performing external and internal analyses using several techniques (service area analysis, five forces analysis, competitor analysis, value chain analysis, and ASSIST analysis). This will certainly aid you in constructing a well-developed and comprehensive SWOT.

The submission should reflect higher-level cognitive processing (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation), which is essential for someone being prepared to serve in an operational capacity within the healthcare and related industry. To earn the maximum number of points, the submission should reflect graduate-level execution with clear evidence of critical thinking, synthesis of relevant information from credible sources, and clear mastery of the concepts necessary to successfully execute each component of the assignment.

First, begin with a business memorandum. Beginning from the next page, prepare a SWOT analysis in a 2×2 table format (separated by a page break from the memorandum). The memorandum should not exceed two (2) pages in length and only provide highlights of key points raised within the SWOT analysis. There is no maximum or minimum length to the SWOT analysis table, however, you are encouraged to keep it clear, logically organized, and concise with a focus on avoiding unnecessary information.

Finally, the memorandum and SWOT analysis should be prepared as a practical business deliverable (single-spaced) and include at least three (3) references of credible or peer-reviewed sources to support any suppositions and recommendations. The in-text citations and the list of references must adhere to the APA writing style (7th ed.). Finally, the document should be prepared as a Microsoft Word document and uploaded to Submit Assignment.

To complete this assignment, use the link below to download a SWOT Analysis table.

SWOT Analysis TablePreview the document

Developing Strategic Goals

Using the criteria contained within the following Internet website, Forbes,  (Links to an external site.)and based on your previous analyses, develop a set of viable strategic goals for your identified healthcare department.
https://www.changefactory.com.au/our-thinking/articles/the-components-of-a-good-vision-statement/
https://www.the-registry.org/Portals/0/Documents/Credentials/Administrator/Documents/Ten%20Criteria%20for%20Evaluating%20Mission%20Statements%204.pdf